32
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 3

6. Persons residing upon mail-routes requiring the accommodation of private bags can
   obtain the same upon payment, in advance, of the undermentioned fees to the Chief
   Postmaster of the district, and subject to the following regulations:—
   (a.) The fees payable for private mail-bags shall be—For a term exceeding six calendar
   months and not exceeding one year, two pounds (£2); for a term not exceeding six
   calendar months, one pound (£1). Provided that no private mail-bag shall be let for
   a term less than six months, to date from the day on which the same shall be let.
   If taken delivery of at the office at which it is made up the fee is the same as for
   a private box.
   (b.) The bag must be provided with a lock and two keys, and kept in repair at the
   cost of the person requiring it. When empty it must not exceed two pounds in
   weight. All private bags must be approved by the Postmaster.
   (c.) The Postmaster must securely lock the bag before despatching it, and it must be
   returned to the Postmaster in the same manner.
   (d.) The bag must only contain correspondence for persons connected with the
   establishment of the owner of the bag, or who may be in his employment; and it
   must be distinctly understood that such owner is responsible for the postage of all
   unpaid letters, and for returning receipts for all those which may be registered.
7. Mail contractors are bound to convey and deliver, free of charge to the holders, all
   private bags given to them by Postmasters or under their instructions, but are not required
   to deviate from the prescribed mail-route, and are on no account to be delayed. Should a
   return bag not be ready at the appointed time and place, the contractors are not required
   to wait for it.

MISCELLANEOUS REGULATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.
Non-liability of the Post Office.

1. The Post Office is not, by law, responsible for any loss or inconvenience which may
   arise from the non-delivery, mis-sending, or mis-delivery of any unregistered letter, book, or
   other postal packet; nor is it responsible for any injury which a packet may sustain during
   its transmission. See, however, regulations in re insurance of parcels.

Secure Packing recommended.
2. To guard against their being injured, all postal packets which are likely to suffer from
stamping or from great pressure should be placed in strong covers; and it is recommended
that such articles should be sent by parcel-post. Fragile articles should not be sent by
post.
3. The main business of the Post Office being the transmission of letters, the forwarding
of book-packets and newspapers (which no one is compelled to send through the Post
Office), though an important, is only a secondary object, for which no arrangement can
be made which would interfere with the quick and regular conveyance and delivery of
letters. Books and packets, therefore, which would be injured by being thrust into a bag
and hurriedly pressed down like a bundle of letters, should not be sent through the post.
4. In order that no failure may occur in the delivery of newspapers through the covers
becoming detached, it is recommended that the addresses be written on exposed parts of
the newspapers themselves, as well as on the covers.

Postmasters and the Public.
5. No information can be given respecting letters which pass through a post-office
except to the persons to whom they are addressed; and in no other way is official information of a private character allowed to be made public. A Postmaster may, however,
give an address if he has no reason to believe that the person whose address it is would
disapprove of his doing so.
6. Except in the case of “special-request” letters, post-cards, or circulars which cannot
be delivered, Postmasters are not allowed to return any article to the writer or sender, or to
any one else, or to delay forwarding it to its destination according to the address.
7. Postmasters are not bound to weigh letters, books, packets, or newspapers for the
public, but they may do so if their duty be not thereby impeded. This rule does not
apply to parcels, which are tested both as to weight and size before being accepted.
8. Postmasters are not bound to give change; and when money is paid at a post-office,
whether as change or otherwise, no question as to its right amount, goodness, or weight
can be entertained after it has been removed from the counter.
9. No postal officer is permitted to take money in prepayment of postage (except in the
case of inland circulars posted in quantities of not less than two thousand at one time), or
to affix postage-stamps on letters, &c., posted at any post-office. Postage-stamps should
in all cases be affixed by the sender or person posting the correspondence.

All Articles should bear Sender's Address.
10. Every letter or other article should contain the full address of the sender, in order to
insure its return if the person to whom it is directed cannot be found. A much larger
portion of the undelivered letters could be returned if the names and addresses of the
senders were always plainly written at the end of the letters or embossed on the envelopes.

Use of Sealing-wax discouraged.
11. The practice of sealing with wax (except such as is specially prepared) letters passing
to and from countries with hot climates is attended with much inconvenience, and
frequently with serious injury, not only to the letters so sealed, but to the other letters
in the mail, from the melting of the wax and adhesion of the letters to each other. The
public are therefore recommended, in all such cases, to use either wafers or gum, and
to advise their correspondents in the countries referred to to do the same.

Money and Valuables should be Registered.
12. Neither money nor any other valuable article ought ever to be sent through the
post, except by means of a money-order, postal note, or in a registered letter. Any person
who sends money or jewellery in an unregistered letter not only runs a risk of losing
his property, but exposes to temptation every one through whose hands his letter passes.

Privilege of Postmaster-General.
13. Any person conveying (otherwise than by the post) a letter not exempted from the
exclusive privilege of the Postmaster-General incurs, by law, a penalty of £20 for every
letter so conveyed.